IX Tartu Folk bridges the gap between two European Capitals of Culture

Tartu Folk is a folklore festival taking place from 14.-17. November, bringing light and joy to the darkest time of the year. Folklore groups from the Baltics and Nordics will come together to enjoy this time together. In 2024, when Tartu is the European Capital of Culture, it is a great pleasure for the organisers to offer the possibility to meet with the second European Capital of Culture Bodø’s folklore community, BUL Bodø (Norway).

Communication between the two Capitals of Culture has already been established – the festival organisers, Folklore Club Maatasa, visited Bodø last May, and the two folklore ensembles became quick friends. Read more about the two groups meeting here.

While Norway’s string music is gentler and modest, the second Nordic country representative, Motora from Finland, Joensuu, will come and show off their energetic Karjala dances and rhythms. Motora and the organisers also share a history of collaboration, with the group taking part in Tartu Folk in 2019 and going on to win the virtual folk battle Tartu Folk-Off 2020. Since the beginning of the festival, the main performers have always included a representative of the Baltics. The Latvian guest performers have always been one of the most inspiring performers in our festival’s history. This year, the Baltics will be represented by an Estonian group and the Latvian group Tarkšķi from Iecava. The ensemble is well-known in Latvia and has also participated in Tartu Folk-Off, where they scored second place.

The festival’s Estonian ensemble – Sörve Sõrmitsejad – comes from Saaremaan and will be introducing the culture of the islands of Estonia through song, dance, and instrumental tunes. In addition to the Baltic and Nordic ensembles, the festival will also bring together various Tartu musicians, ensembles and dance groups to introduce our local Tartu culture and community to our guests. 2024 has also been declared the Year of Diversity by the Integration Foundation, and Tartu Folk will be making a contribution to this as well. We invite everyone to participate in this festival and enjoy the diverse cultures of our ensembles.

Let us recall: The first festival organised by Tartu Folklore Club Maatasa took place in 2016, aiming to introduce groups dedicated to unarranged folklore to each other. Back then, the festival was called the Tartu Youth Folklore Festival. The festival was held every year in November until COVID-19 regulations struck. The festival adapted and instead held the web show Tartu Folk-Off, which received much attention and support. Since the end of COVID-19 regulations, the organisers combined the two concepts into one in 2022, creating Tartu Folk, a festival with both live interactions and a final concert that would be broadcast online to allow for a broader, more international audience to take part in the festivities. The organisers,

Folklore Club Maatasa at the Tartu Car-free Avenue performing for the Tartu Wine and Food Festival. Photo: Helin Pihlap